Breathless
by kojika
Summary: When the travelers from many worlds come to a new place...they find themselves not only looking for one of Sakura's feathers, but Fay's voice as well. KuroFai, I suck at summaries
1. Chapitre 1 Atarashii Sekai

Breathless

_Chapitre 1. Atarashii Sekai (Brand New World)_

By Sanzaki Kojika

Disclaimer: I do not in any way, shape, or form own Tsubasa or any of the CLAMP characters sadly. What I'd give for even half their talent! But anyways, don't expect much out of this story as I'm just kinda writing it to blow time while I ftp upload my manga to its new server on my lovely 56k dial-up. Fun…So, don't look for errors in this as you'll probably find a lot…This is KuroFai, by the way…meaning guy-on-guy action! Oh nos!

n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n—n-n-n-n-n-n-n—n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n—n-n

The sky opened up and the center of it dropped away, slipping down to the ground, but leaving everything untouched in its wake. There was a sharp snap and the drop broke free from the sky and gently settled to the ground. As the drop receded, the surrounding area reverted back to its normal state; even the sky was unmarred. Slowly, the drop imploded on itself to reveal four very wary travelers and a manjuu.

Shaoran quickly looked towards Sakura, making sure his princess was all right. After all, without her, this quest would be entirely pointless. She gave him her sweet, innocent smile, and the world around him seemed to fade. He smiled back and quickly pulled himself out of the moment. Now was not the time to linger on what his heart yearned for most.

"Hyuuh! We've finally arrived! Where do you think we are, Kuro-pan?" Fay chirped, standing beside the disgruntled samurai. His comment was met by Kurogane's dark glare.

"Shut up, sorcerer! How the hell would I know?" Kurogane snapped. Fay pouted slightly.

"Ah, Kuro-tan is soo mean!" Fay teased. He was met with another dark glare. His companion's response only proceeded to amuse him more.

Kurogane decided it was better to ignore the wily sorcerer for now and turned his attention to the white manjuu clutching on his shoulder. With a swift motion, he ripped Mokona off and held him up.

"Shiro Manjuu, where are we!?" Kurogane growled at his prisoner. Mokona squirmed in his hands, trying to break free. Kurogane grew bored and let the bouncing manjuu go. Mokona hopped to safety in Sakura's arms.

"I don't know…" Mokona pouted. Sakura stroked his head gently and his pout quickly turned into a smile.

"Well, for now all we can do is find a place to rest and gather information," Shaoran slowly climbed to his feet. He reached down and helped Sakura up as well. The two moved over to join Kurogane and Fay.

"Hyuh…" Fay glanced up at the sky and blinked slightly. Kurogane glared at him, but his glare had no effect (not that it ever did).

"What now?" Kurogane scowled. Fay looked over at him and gave him a goofy grin that spread from cheek to cheek.

"It's going to rain!" Fay chirped. Kurogane growled and lunged at him, just missing catching the sorcerer by the end of his coat.

"What the hell are you babbling about!?" Kurogane tried to chase after Fay, but the sudden rumbling of thunder caught his attention. He growled and averted his attention from Fai to the dark sky looming above them.

"Yeah…a bad storm is blowing in," Shaoran frowned slightly. He glanced over at Sakura and watched her for a moment as she stared up at the sky. Then, he glanced back to Fay and Kurogane.

"We should hurry and find a place to stay…" Shaoran added after a moment. Kurogane grunted and Fay nodded in response.

Without so much as another word, the small group of weary travelers hiked off, hoping to avoid the inevitable coming of the storm.

Nnnnnnnnn

The gray clouds loomed ever closer and still there was no sign of anything beyond the barren rocky land the group had traversed into. The thunder had followed after them with madly rushing winds and sharp, cold raindrops. In moments, the storm would be upon them.

"This isn't good! We need to find someplace to wait out the storm!" Shaoran shouted above the roaring wind. Kurogane grunted and nodded slightly. He liked this storm less and less the more it chased after them. Fay seemed unaffected; that goofy grin forever plastered across his face. It annoyed Kurogane to no end! He tried to ignore it and hurried on ahead.

"Hmph. You'd think there would be caves in a place like this," Kurogane scowled at no one in particular. Fay just giggled slightly in response and he pretended not to hear the sorcerer.

Suddenly, the sorcerer came to an abrupt stop beside him. Kurogane hurried to a stop and glanced back. Fay had a serious look on his face…this couldn't be good. The samurai frowned back at his companion. He could hear Shaoran and Sakura stopped ahead of them, just as confused as he.

"Something's coming," Fay's eyes narrowed as he stared straight ahead. The others followed his gaze but found themselves staring only at the same barren ground they had been since they arrived. Nothing seemed out of place.

"What the hell are you babbling about? I can't feel anything!" Kurogane scowled at him again. Fay continued to stare ahead into the emptiness. His hand clenched into a fist.

"Of course not, Kuro-pan!" After a moment, Fay turned and flashed Kurogane a grin, "It's magic!"

Shaoran frowned slightly. He wasn't exactly sure what it was, but something was making a shiver run up his spine. He wondered if this was perhaps the thing-the magic-that Fay was getting so worked up about. He moved closer to Sakura and wrapped an arm protectively around her.

"We need to stay together!" Fay chirped as he latched onto Kuro's arm. The samurai glared at him and tried to shake him off. Just as he was about to open his mouth and snap at the idiotic sorcerer, there was a bright light. He turned his head to catch a glimpse of what was happening, but only succeeded in blinding himself.

Without even thinking, Kurogane wrapped his free arm around Fay, encircling the thin sorcerer completely. He could feel Fay shift awkwardly against him, but he made no move to release the sorcerer. All he wanted to do is hold on to something…

Then suddenly, it felt like the ground beneath them dropped away. He glanced down and squinted, catching sight of what he thought was a doorframe as they passed through it. Then, he was met by cold and darkness, and he blacked out as they hit the ground.

Nnnnn

Kurogane forced his eyes open and groaned slightly. There was a heavy weight on top of him, but when he tried to knock it off, it rolled off with ease. He glanced over to see Fay lying next to him.

"Yo, wake up!" Kurogane gave the sorcerer a rough shove. Fay grumbled and slowly forced his eyes open. After a moment, he sat up and rubbed his head slightly.

"Wow, what a trip!" Fay whistled quietly as he climbed to his feet. He put a hand to his forehead and gazed around. They were obviously no longer in the mountains.

"Where are we?" Kurogane asked as he climbed to his feet beside Fay. He glanced out and glared at what he saw. They were standing in the middle of a desert. Just great.

"It appears we were transported somewhere…but, I think we are in the same world, and not too far from the others as we can understand one another," Fay grinned over at him. He just glared back.

For a moment, the two men just stared out into the desert, unsure of what to do. After that moment of silence, Kurogane groaned and rested his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Whatever! Let's just get going!" Kurogane snarled as he started forward. Fay chuckled and hurried after him, trying to keep up with the samurai's long strides. The pace was hard to keep up with, and soon the sorcerer found himself slipping further and further back.

All around the two was a sea of sand, broken only by the dots of rocks, dried weeds, and rarely a deep green cactus-like plant. Fay wanted to go observe one closer as he felt something pulsating from them, almost as if they were alive, but he felt his energy being drained with every step he took. And with the lack of energy came a lack of desire to explore such mysteries.

The sorcerer glared up at the sun that was beating down on them. It glared back at him and caused him to turn away; the light almost seemed unreal. The heat seemed to rise from the ground and filter down from the sun; it was all around them, trapping them inside of its heinous warmth. He watched the wavy lines of heat dance around him, trying to keep himself focused on the dark figure before him. He couldn't even imagine how the samurai was keeping so well, especially dressed in mainly black as he usually was.

Though the heat was affecting Kurogane, too, he had lived most of his life (until Tomoyo-hime sent him away) in a world with a climate that was more likely to get scorching heat than it was to get snow. Being the warrior he was, he had grown used to being able to handle such extreme temperatures, or at least pretend he could. Summers in Japan often reached extreme temperatures, though he doubted in his lifetime it had ever gotten this hot! He cursed to himself and willed himself to move forward.

Fay blinked, trying to keep the water in his eyes. It felt as if they were trying to dry up and shrivel away while still inside his sockets. He shook his head slightly and blinked again. His vision was blurred, though he could still make out enough of the dark figure leading him, even though Kurogane was steadily gaining ground ahead of him and he was falling back ever more. The gap between was growing with each and every step.

Unlike Japan, Celes, or at least the part Fay had lived in, hardly ever even reached minor warm temperatures. The land was a frigid wasteland of ice and mountains. The only plants he ever saw were covered in pines as opposed to leaves. Nothing else could survive. Though it made the land a beautiful place in a way, it also lead to many disasters like famine and disease. Because of Fay's rather sheltered life back in his own world, he had never been accustomed to higher temperatures, assuming, of course, such places had actually even existed in his world.

Fay stumbled and barely caught himself in time before he landed face-first into the sand. He struggled into a sitting position and glanced around. The cactus that had been so far away seemed to have moved closer. He shook his head. He must be getting delirious! Chances were it was just another cactus. He slowly climbed to his feet and tried to hurry after the black samurai.

Suddenly, the world around Fay spun out of control and he tumbled to the ground. This time, he wasn't able to break his fall, and he landed into the sand with a thud. There was a sharp ringing in his ears and his head was still spinning. He slowly forced himself into a sitting position to find himself face-to-face with a blur of green.

_Power. Power! Mmmm….tasty._

Fay blinked and tried to focus his vision. Where was that voice coming from? He wondered if he was just imagining things. Hadn't Ashura once talked of distant lands of heat and sand where the land played tricks on the people in it? It was called a mirage of something….Fay couldn't focus clearly on the thought.

_Ripe Energy! So delicious!_

Every time the voice rang through Fay's head, he felt a little weaker. He felt his arms shake and he forced them to hold his body up a little more. He squinted at the green blur of motion in front of him. Was that one of those odd desert plants…? He couldn't make it out cleary, but he was almost sure that's what it was.

_Much power! All mine! Yummy!_

Fay could no longer support himself. He fell down into the sand and tried to look up at the cactus hovering over him. He wasn't entirely sure what was going on…but it was almost as if that plant was draining him of his magic power. He could feel his energy slipping away…

_Yummy! Delicious!_

There was a sharp pain in Fay's throat, and he yelped despite his best efforts to hold it in. Though the sound had barely managed to escape his lips, not too far off, it had caught a dark figure's attention. Fay buried his face in the sand and clawed at his throat, trying to relieve the pain. It felt as if something had been thrust inside his neck and he wanted nothing more than to rip it out.

"You damn cactus!" came a deep growl as a blur of black thrust itself towards the green. There was a flash of silver and the green just evaporated as if it had never existed. Fay could hear Kurogane cursing to himself.

"Oi, majutsushi!" Kurogane knelt down and tried to force Fay off the ground. Fay rolled over and stared at him, his vision slowly starting to come into focus. His hands slowly withdrew from his neck as the pain subsided. For a moment, he just laid in the sand trying to recover.

"Daijoubu ka? Nanda korya!? Ano temee…." Kurogane muttered above him. Fay blinked up at him, not sure what the samurai had just said. He forced himself up to a sitting position and nearly toppled over backwards. Kurogane caught the sorcerer in his strong arms.

"Bakayarou!" Kurogane hissed at him. Fay blinked again. If he couldn't understand Kurogane….had they drifted too far from Mokona? He didn't think so. Until just a moment ago, they could understand one another just fine. He wondered if something else was disrupting it…

"Oi! Naniga atta ka?" Kurogane cocked an eyebrow down at the sorcerer. Fay grinned slightly and opened his mouth to speak.

There was a sharp pain in his throat and he only managed to get out an awkward squeak. He blinked and tried to speak again, but still, no sound came out. He frowned slightly and rubbed his throat.

"Kimi no koe ga inai…?" Kurogane blinked back at him. Fay shook his head slightly and shrugged in response. He was at a loss of what the dark samurai was saying. Hopefully, it wasn't important.

Kurogane growled slightly and climbed to his feet, pulling Fay up with him. Fay stumbled slightly, but Kurogane caught his arm and held the sorcerer right up.

"Kuso saboten!" Kurogane muttered as he started forward, pulling Fay along with him. Fay struggled to keep up, but he was already having enough trouble before he was attacked. Kurogane grunted slightly and slowed down, pausing at the sorcerer's side.

"Hontou ni daijoubu ka?" Kurogane cocked an eyebrow at Fay again. Fay grinned at him. He liked the way the samurai had said that…it almost made it sound like Kurogane was worried about him! He chuckled at the thought and quickly brushed it aside.

Kurogane glared at him for a second then sighed. He knelt down in front of Fay and glanced back at him. Fay just blinked over at him. Kurogane motioned with his hands for the sorcerer to climb on. Fay hesitated for a moment, a little nervous about being so close to the samurai, but before he could manage to get away, Kurogane had backed up and was picking him up. Soon, Fay found himself being carried on Kurogane's back.

"Tsukamatte." Fay couldn't understand the samurai, but he was pretty sure that meant 'hold on.' He wrapped his arms tightly around Kurogane's neck as they started forward. Even with holding on he still felt like he was going to slide off at any giving moment. He felt so awkward on the large, black back.

Kurogane sighed and cursed to himself. Great, just what he needed! Not only had Fay been attacked and was now voiceless, he also didn't seem to be able to understand a word the samurai had said to him. Kurogane wasn't sure what was going on, but he knew he didn't like it.

As he walked, Kurogane glanced back at the burden on his back. Fay's head was almost resting on his shoulder; the sorcerer's face was contorted, lost deep in thought. Often times, Kurogane found himself wondering just what went on in that head of his. Fay always seemed so happy and optimistic, but then a moment would pass when the look in his eyes was real, and there was no way a smile could pass the pain and suffering he held there. But, no matter how much he would like to know, it was really none of his business. He too kept secrets from the others, and though he could guarantee they didn't torment him like the sorcerer's did, they were still things that were too embarrassing or too personal to tell anyone else. If he wanted them to respect his privacy, he had to do the same to all of them…including Fay.

Kurogane continued muttering to himself as he trudged along, carrying the silenced sorcerer on his back. This world was going to take some time.

Nnnnnn

Um, well, honestly, I didn't expect this to be more than a oneshot…but when I finally got the details worked out…a oneshot seemed too short. Heh. So, this will be an ongoing story for now…but not too long cause I don't feel confident writing long stories (I'm even rewriting my 24 chapter novel for like the 7th time for some of the chapters…) I'm almost kinda liking this story though…haha XD

Now, if only my mouse would work…I'm using my big sister's crappy tablet as a mouse right now since my stupid mac computer decided not to read my actual mouse. I hate Yukinari sometimes…

Oh! And the Japanese? I ain't translating it Xd First off, it's really basic and minor stuff anyways (please don't check for errors…I wrote most of it late at night and when I'm half asleep, even my Japanese is bad)…if my mouse decides to work later tonight when I get on, I'll change the one mistake I actually found. But, back on track…I also left it like that cause this is more from Fay's pov than anyone's…okay, it was supposed to be. So, I wanted the audience to be as lost as him. XP


	2. Chapitre 2 Anata no Koe

Breathless

_Chapitre 2. Anata no Koe (Your Voice)_

By Sanzaki Kojika

Disclaimer: I do not in any way, shape, or form own Tsubasa or any of the CLAMP characters sadly. What I'd give for even half their talent! But ahaha…I'm continuing this supposed oneshot that has now become a couple chapters long. Ah, well, it happens…actually, not too often if you're me. And, I'm sure you've all noticed the cacti in here….I love cacti! MWA HAHAHA! This is KuroFai, by the way…meaning guy-on-guy action! Oh nos! (it's also apparently ShaoranSaku now…XD )

* * *

"Where are we?" Sakura asked, blinking up at Shaoran. He glanced around, still with no response. He hadn't a clue to as where they were; he wasn't about to pretend he knew. All he knew is that it appeared that they were in a forest of some sort. Well, on the outskirts of it anyways. The trees and fauna were thinned out around them and before them they grew more massive. He wouldn't doubt that some of the trees near them were over twenty feet and that deeper in their height was even more impressive. The trees had nothing to hold them back.  
Shaoran frowned slightly and climbed to his feet, helping Sakura up with him. All around them, the sound of silence was deafening. He didn't like this place one bit. Not only was the size of the place terrifying, but also the eerie silence that had settled over the place couldn't help but cause Shaoran worry. Silence in a place that was meant to be full of life was never a good thing. 

"Shaoran…" he could feel Sakura's grip on his sleeve tighten. He smiled back at her, a look that told her she had nothing to worry about. No matter what, he'd protect her. Regardless of how much he worried, he knew he would always be able to protect his princess, even at the cost of his life. He would do anything to keep her safe. At one time it had been his promise; now, it was his job.

"Everything will be alright," Shaoran promised, and found himself almost doubting his words. Sakura didn't catch his worry though, and she gave him a large smile in return. She trusted him, blindly. Shaoran's heart couldn't help but ache a little. A part of him yearned for her even more while the part that had realized the truth wanted nothing more than to runaway. But, it was pointless to let his mind wander to such trivial things when their safety could be at stake…

"Ah, Mokona is scared!"

Both Sakura and Shaoran took a step back, nearly toppling over backwards as their companion made a surprise appearance from the bushes. Mokona had jumped up in between them and was now hopping around, staring up at them in relief. Neither had been aware of his presence until that moment.

"Eh? Weren't you with Kurogane-san and Fay-san?" Shaoran blinked down at the hopping rabbit-like creature, slowly recovering from his surprise. Mokona frowned at him, his usually happy face contorted with worry.

"Puu…no, I got separated…so I grabbed onto a big flowing thing! It turned out to be your cloak!" Mokona's frown turned into a grin as he hopped around once more, motioning to the brown cloth that hung from Shaoran's back and wrapped around his shoulders. Shaoran frowned slightly but said nothing.

"Do you think they'll be alright…?" Sakura managed to find her voice after a moment, though there was still a small squeak as she started to speak. Shaoran turned to her and gave her a reassuring smile. She always worried so much about everyone, even when, like Kurogane, they could protect themselves from nearly anything. Now, Fay wasn't as strong, but he seemed to have an uncanny ability for getting himself out of sticky situation…it was almost like magic. But, Shaoran knew he had sworn not to use magic for whatever reason, so that couldn't be the case. He was just lucky when it came to staying alive. Still, he was one who caused everyone a lot of worry…especially the dark swordsman. Shaoran almost laughed aloud when he thought back to Kurogane fretting over the sorcerer when he had been injured in one of their travels. It was nothing serious at all, but with Fay, you never knew what to believe. He was reckless and rushed into things (even more so than Kurogane sometimes!) when he had to and went in with no regard for his own life…

"Of course! They are both strong; they can defend themselves!" Shaoran's hollow words echoed throughout his heart. Though he seemed to have quelled any fears Sakura had, he kept finding himself worrying. He suddenly had a very bad feeling about this…He couldn't even figure out why. He has already told himself both were strong enough to take care of themselves, but he somehow found himself still worrying that something awful would happen to them…maybe something that even someone of Kurogane's ability couldn't handle…

"Where should we go?" Shaoran asked, trying to get his mind away from the building dread. Everywhere he looked around them, all he could see was the growing forest. What was worse was the lack of any sign of life. He couldn't help but wonder what had caused the absence. There were no birds, no rustling of leaves…in fact, he didn't even see any insects darting back and forth through the fauna. The forest seemed to be void of any kind of animate life.

"That way!" Mokona grinned and pointed to the left. Shaoran glanced over in the direction, sizing up the area. It didn't seem any different than the rest of the forest, but for some reason, he felt his worry ease a little. Maybe they'd be safe if they went this way. He knew Mokona would never steer them in the wrong direction. Well, at least not intentionally.

"What's over there?" Sakura blinked slightly, following the others' gazes. To her, the whole forest seemed natural and nothing was out of place. All around her, everything was still. Though she didn't like the silence, she managed to place her doubts elsewhere and just believe in her protector. Her heart was at ease whenever she was around him…no matter what else was there with them.

"I can feel magic over there! Puu!" Mokona hopped down the path in front of them. Shaoran and Sakura hurried to keep up with him. Magic usually meant a good thing…though it had led them astray many a times before.

"Is it Fay?" Sakura asked, blinking down at Mokona. Mokona grinned his reply. Shaoran couldn't help but smile back. If Mokona could feel the sorcerer still, that meant they weren't too far off. They might be able to find the others before nightfall set in if they were quick enough.

The three traveled most of the afternoon in silence, the only sound the falls of their footsteps and the occasional humming from their bouncy leader. No matter where they went in the forest, the sound was still missing. The feeling Shaoran had managed to quell earlier was back and even stronger. It felt like their every movement was being watched. As if something was waiting for them to let their guard down…

Suddenly, Mokona came to an abrupt stop. Sakura stumbled, almost tripping right over him. Shaoran caught her and glanced over at Mokona. His ears were flat against his head.  
"Mokona, what's wrong?" Shaoran whispered. Mokona frowned and glanced back at them.

"It's no good! I can't feel Fay anymore!" Mokona pouted. Shaoran blinked slightly. How was that possible? Weren't they headed towards the other two, so shouldn't the feeling be getting stronger, not weaker?

"What do you mean? Did we get too far away from them?" Shaoran moved closer to Mokona. Sakura clung to his shoulder, her big eyes filled with worry and fear. He prayed that everything would be okay as he had promised her.

Mokona stayed silent, no answer to give them. This had never happened before…he had thought about trying to contact Yuuko, but even that didn't seem to be working to well. Something was blocking them…

* * *

Fay cracked his eyes open and slowly sat up. It was barely morning and already the desert sun was beating down upon them. He shifted slightly and glanced over at the sleeping figure against the entrance of the cave they had stashed themselves into the previous night. He couldn't help but snicker slightly. The samurai looked so innocent and vulnerable when he was sleeping. Sleep was the one place where most people felt at peace…to bad his own memories plagued his restless sleep with nightmares. For him, there was no escape to peace. 

Fay stood up and stretched his arms high into the air. The pain in his throat had subsided during the night, but as of when he fell asleep, his voice was still nowhere to be found. He opened his mouth and tried to speak, but instantly he was met with a sharp pain. He quickly grabbed his throat and sat back down. The pain was even worse than before. And just when he thought it was getting better…

-Don't try to talk. You're only making it worse- Kurogane shifted slightly and cracked an eye open towards the sorcerer. Fay grinned, no idea what the samurai had just said. Kurogane sighed and stood up, moving closer to the sorcerer.

-Come on. Let's just go. Can you walk today?- Kurogane pulled Fay to his feet. After looking the sorcerer up-and-down, he decided it was okay. He motioned for Fay to follow, and he headed out of the cave.

Fay hurried after him, squinting as his eyes met the full blunt of the sun. Though the light had managed to penetrate deep into their cave, the intensity of being directly under it was much more exaggerated and harder to bear. As Fay's eyes adjusted to the unreal light, he glanced around, squinting to see if he could see anything odd in the distance. All he could see though was the golden sand broken by the dots of brownish shrubbery and the occasional rock face that dared to mar its surface. Fortunately, there was no green in sight.

-It doesn't look like those damn cacti are around today…- Kurogane followed Fay's gaze as he scanned the area. The samurai frowned and glanced over at Fay. As much as he always complained about the sorcerer's incessant babble…without, he found himself feeling very awkward. The silence was torture to him.

As the two continued into the day, the sun only grew hotter and Fay quickly felt his energy drifting. His throat was parched from the dryness and his skin was burning from the malicious rays of the sun. His eyes were drying up as well, and he was starting to have trouble to see. He could feel his legs losing their strength beneath him. The world was get hazy around him…

"Bakayarou!" Kurogane snapped. Fay looked up and suddenly realized that he was drapped across the samurai's arms. Kurogane had been watching Fay the whole time and when he saw the sorcerer starting to tire, he had rushed to the rescue to stop Fay from hitting the sand once again. He cursed softly and bent down in front of the sorcerer again. This time, Fay didn't hesitate to climb onto his back.

-You look like a tomato…- Kurogane snickered to himself. Fay just flashed him a grin and let his head fall against the brood shoulder. It was too hard to even guess at what Kurogane was saying.

-We better find you a place to rest soon…you're not looking too well- Kurogane frowned and started forward at a faster speed. Fay squeaked slightly in surprise and wrapped his arms tighter the thick neck.

Kurogane felt himself blushing at the contact. He had thought about Fay before on many occasions, but anymore, it wasn't often that it was just the two of them alone. At least after Kurogane had started to realize just what he was thinking about. That tall, slender body…that perfectly white skin…those bright, shimmering blue eyes…that soft, flowing hair…the sorcerer was beautiful.

When Kurogane first realized just how beautiful Fay was, he was quickly taken aback. His heart belonged to no one! Especially not this flamboyant and reckless sorcerer! But…the more they were together, the more time they spent fighting side-by-side, the more time they spent helping the boy get back the feathers that were so precious to him and his love…he soon found that the bond he had with Fay was growing, whether he liked it or not. Soon he found himself liking the little traits that had annoyed him before…that overly zealous smile, that wispy way of speaking, that awkwardly fluid way of moving, that stupid "hyuh" sound he'd make from time-to-time, those damn pet names…they started to become a part of his life. Without them, he would be lonely.

Kurogane flushed even more when he realized how he was thinking. But, he couldn't help himself, especially with the sorcerer pushed up against his back, clinging around his neck. He wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around the sorcerer and pull him close. His fingers twitched slightly under Fay's legs and he could feel the sorcerer shift uncomfortably. He tried to chase those thoughts from his mind and focus on the task at hand. Right now, nothing was more important than protecting Fay and getting him to safety.

As he moved on, he could feel Fay's stomach rumble slightly against his back. As much as he hated to admit it, he too was starting to feel hungry. In most cases, he would have pushed food to the least of their worries, but with Fay's draining strength, he needed all the energy he could get. They'd have to find something soon.

They pushed on ahead, the sun slowly rising higher into the sky as they moved. Kurogane glanced around out of the corner of his eye, hoping to catch a glimpse of an oasis or any kind of food source. But, alas, all he saw were the rocks and sand. Even the little shrubbery he saw was too hard to be eaten. This place was a barren wasteland.

Suddenly, the ground beneath them started to rumble angrily. Fay squeaked as he almost fell from Kurogane's back. The samurai himself stumbled forward, trying to maintain his balance. He looked around and caught spots of green. Those damn cacti had returned!

Kurogane rushed forward on the moving ground, trying to get as far away as he could from the cacti. He cast a glance back over his shoulder and realized they weren't chasing after him. Though a part of him was relieved, the other part warned him that whatever was causing this earthquake was keeping them at bay. He had no time to hesitate though, so he continued to rush forward across the desert.

There was a loud growl behind them, and a screen of sand shot up and engulfed the surrounding area. Kurogane pushed on though it, blindly, doing his best to make his way from the sound. The sand was catching into his cloak and slowing him down though. He cursed and drew his sword, ready to fight whatever decided to come their way.

-Get down!!- a voice floated down to him through the sand. He didn't worry about where it came from; he simply ducked down. There was a rush of wind as something shot past overhead. He could hear the sharp noise it made as it passed. They had just barely missed getting hit by it.

-Quickly, come this way! Follow my voice.- Kurogane did so without second thought, too concerned with getting Fay away from the monster behind them to worry about anything else.

-Over here the voice- continued to call out to him. He followed it, fighting through the screen of sand to reach it. As he progressed forward, he could feel the sand letting up. He hurried against it and soon he could see again. In the distance, he could make out two silhouettes on a rocky edge-one female, one male.

Kurogane broke through the sand and hurried over to them. The male was waving his arms wildly (obviously the one who had called out to them), and the female stood behind him, her arms folded across her chest and a bow slung lazily around them. He remembered their faces from many other worlds-Sorato and Arashi.

-Are you okay? You jumped right into a worm nest!- Sorato continued to flail around. Kurogane grunted slightly and shifted Fay on his back. He could feel Fay look up then quickly drop his head. He was struggling.

-I need to get this guy help- Kurogane motioned towards Fay on his back. Arashi slowly crossed the rock and stopped by Kurogane's side. He knelt down and let Fay slide from his back so she could examine him more thoroughly.

Arashi suddenly gasped and moved away from him. She hurried over to Sorato's side, -He's one of them! The kentan got him! What should we do? It's taboo for them to be anywhere near our village…especially after a kentan attack…-

Sorato frowned and looked over at Kurogane who was now frowning at him in return. The samurai hoisted Fay back onto his back and stood up. If they weren't going to help Fay, he'd find someone else who could. It seemed Fay wasn't the only one who had gotten attacked. Maybe finding the others would help him…

-We can't just leave him though! Besides, does he look like them? His hair, his skin, his eyes…he's not of the desert, and he's certainly not of their tribe. Where are the dark black hair and the malicious red eyes? No, he's just a normal foreigner. Maybe in other places, possessing spirit is not such a bad thing- Sorato shrugged slightly and grinned. Arashi sighed softly and nodded her head in agreement.

-Alright…but, we will need to get them a story.- She glanced back to Kurogane and Fay. Kurogane cocked an eyebrow at her. -Where are you two from exactly?-

-We travel from far away Kurogane answered. He wasn't in the mood to explain their quest and the whole concept of dimension hopping. All he wanted to do is get Fay some help.

-Fair enough.- Arashi gave a small grin. She was silent for a moment as she thought, then she motioned for them to follow. -Come with me. I have a story that will fit you perfectly.-

* * *

Another chapter done! I went to YoumaCon earlier this month and had an artist table…was selling Tsubasa bookmarks! I was in such a Tsubasa mood that weekend! I got a wallscroll with the 4 main characters from Ranefea as a bday gift, and I bought a set of large Tsubasa plushies (sakura and shaoran). So cute! And I also had a table at AnimeUSA (yeah, I travel lots Xd ) …now, if only my computer mouse would work…luckily, we DID get a new one (it's wireless), but I'm still trying to figure out exactly how much pressure to control it with…heh well, it's only a temp until our replacement one comes in apparently… 

I got lazy with the Japanese this time…since I just got done writing 7 different worksheets for a kid I tutor in Japanese…so, I went with my language setting I used in my novel X3 Anything in brackets can only be understood by that particular person or others who speak in brackets during the scene. So, for this story…pretty much, Kurogane's speech will be in brackets.


	3. Chapitre 3 Kono Yakusoku

Breathless

_Chapitre 3. Kono Yakusoku (This Promise)_

By Sanzaki Kojika

Disclaimer: I do not in any way, shape, or form own Tsubasa or any of the CLAMP characters sadly. What I'd give for even half their talent! I'm kinda forgetting what I had planned for this so I better hurry and write it down somewhere…haha! This is KuroFai, by the way…meaning guy-on-guy action! Oh nos! (it's also apparently ShaoranSaku now…XD )

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Fay hurried down the small, dirty path that stretched out before them. Kurogane had taken the lead and was quite a bit ahead of him, following behind their saviors. Not only was he still not feeling well, the robes he had been forced to adorn were dragging along behind him slowing his movement even more. While Fay struggled with his robes, he didn't notice that Kurogane had stopped and bummed into him.

-Watch it!- Kurogane hissed at him. Though Fay couldn't understand what he had said, he could understand the meaning. He just gave Kurogane a big grin and went back to struggling to ball the ends of the robes up into his hands.

-Are you ready?- Arashi cast a suspicious glance back at the two behind her. Kurogane grunted and glared at her, but Fay was too preoccupied with the robe.

Kurogane was still having doubts about this, but Arashi had convinced him this was the only way that they could get Fay into the village without any questions. Since the sorcerer couldn't understand a word the three of them had been saying, he had no choice but to agree. But, Kurogane on the other hand felt he had every right to object. The thought of this ridiculous story the woman concocted was enough to make his cheeks turn a deep shade of red.

-Just follow the plan and everything will be alright!- Sorato grinned at him, but it did nothing but make him angrier. It was almost as if the couple was enjoying this torment. He glowered at them.

Fay blinked over at them, a small smile still playing across his lips. He hadn't understood quite what Kurogane's instructions were in this, but he had gotten this much at least out of what he was told-to stay quiet and not even try to speak. Why he was in such a heavy and gaudy robe was beyond him! It made him feel like he was going to be given away at a wedding. He frowned at the thought. It didn't suit him at all.

-Fine. Whatever! Just get this over with!- Kurogane hissed. Sorato tried to hold back his snickering but with no avail. Hell yeah, he was enjoying this.

Arashi and Sorato started forward again, their dark robes billowing behind them, much like the robe Kurogane was wearing though his was covered with bright splotches of colors that supposedly resembled the symbol of some clan far away. Fay's kimono had the same symbol and decorations on it, but it was a pale blue. It was another type of robe common in that clan, though it had a different meaning than the one Kurogane was wearing…

The story Arashi decided to use for the two fit perfectly…or so she thought. It wasn't common their village got visitors, and there were certain types of people who were prohibited to enter. Though Fay didn't look anything like these people…up until Fay was attacked by those odd cacti, only they had been attacked. They were called demons and specters…Kurogane had no idea what they really were. Spending time thinking it over though only convinced him more that they were nothing more than misunderstood sorcerers, since it was common to fear magic if it was not understood. These people didn't even seem to know what magic was when he had tried to bring it up. If there was a word for it in their language, the word wasn't 'magic.'

So, the only way to enter the village was to prove that they were from a clan that the village had good ties with. For Kurogane, that was no problem. His dark skin and red eyes resembled many of the others in the village (even though apparently his red eyes were a trait attributed to 'them'…whoever they were). But Fay…his appearance was like nothing the desert village had ever seen before. But, to explain why a traveler from far away would end up traveling to the desert with a desert man was too difficult. The best way to explain him was to say he was one of the "chosen."

Though the explanation for the chosen had been a little broken, Kurogane had understood it well enough. The desert tribe he was pretending to be a part of had a ritual every couple years to choose people of the "pale skin," as they called them. These people were literally kidnapped from their homes and dragged inside of the desert to the clan's village. There, they were given off as prizes to fighters and were forced to be the lover of their new master. Kurogane shivered slightly at the thought. Though he openly resented having to be paired with Fay even for the smallest matter, a part of him was thrilled by the prospect. He tried to get the feeling away. Now was no time to lose himself to his vapid emotions.

With that story created, Arashi had gone to work finding them the proper clothing to fit the parts. Fortunately for them, since the ceremony for the chosen had just taken place a bit ago, there had been several groups of travelers before them and one had mistakenly left some of their belongings there. The dark colors that Kurogane wore were meant to symbolize strength and leadership, while the pale colors Fay wore were meant to symbolize purity and calm. Though the robes were said to have other meanings behind them that varied from person-to-person, Arashi didn't know the true story behind the robes as it was something only that clan understood. Since the rush of travelers was nearing its end, chances were that no more from the real clan would show up to disprove their story. Kurogane hated how much lying he had done lately in his travels, but he knew how people reacted when they had doubt in their heart. It was better to disillusion them than it was to try and be truthful.

-Greetings!- Arashi gave a small smile as they entered the main street of the village and people came into view. They cast wary glances at Kurogane and Fay for less than a moment, quickly satisfied that from their clothing they were to be trusted. Sorato walked just behind Arashi, still keeping her pace, a stupid grin plastered across his face. Kurogane cursed silently and wished he could wipe that smile off.

-Oh, my, what a beautiful couple- an old lady whispered to her husband as Kurogane and Fay hurried past. Following Arashi's instructions, the group had slowed and now Kurogane was tightly gripping onto Fay's arm. He glared out of the corner of his eye at the old lady, but she didn't seem to notice. Chances were, she could barely even see the two of them except for the colors.

Despite the fact that traveler's were commonplace during this time and at this place, Kurogane and, especially, Fay drew the eyes of all who they walked past. Kurogane tried to ignore the gazes and the words, but he constantly would catch words like "beautiful" and "stunning" as Fay walked past the people. Fay was something to behold to these people of the desert. Fay was something to behold every time he walked into Kurogane's view. Though he hated to admit it, his heart was thoroughly stunned by Fay at every moment.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, the small group made it to Arashi's small hut buried deep within the village. Kurogane collapsed onto the floor while Arashi went about looking through odd potions and herbs. He glanced over at Sorato as the man sat down beside him.

-So, is there anything that can be done to save him?- Kurogane frowned slightly. Sorato didn't answer for a moment, but instead stared straight ahead at Fay who had found himself a wooden stool to take a seat on.

-We haven't really ever gotten a chance to fully examine a case like this. All we know as of now are that the kentan eat the spirits of specters and demons. We aren't even quite sure just what this 'spirit' is- Sorato sighed and leaned back. He let his gaze travel up to the ceiling.

-We'll do our best to help though- Arashi leaned over Sorato and gave him a small grin. She then moved across the room to where Fay was sitting and took a seat on the bed near him. For a moment, she just stared at him. He stared back, his gaze never failing.

-First, we need to figure out just what the kentan did to him. As no one in this village has ever seen a survivor from one of the attacks, we've never had the opportunity to find out just what it is that is done to the victim. So, we need to find a way to communicate…- Arashi pulled out a yellowed tablet of paper and a thick stick of charcoal. She quickly drew a picture and handed it to Fay.

The sorcerer glanced down at the picture and blinked slightly. It looked to be representative of himself lying beside the green plant that had attacked him just the day before. He frowned down at it and glanced over at Arashi. She made a motion with her hands and pointed towards her body. Fay frowned even more, confused to as what she was trying to say.

-His throat was bothering him- Kurogane frowned slightly. Arashi and Sorato blinked towards him and he continued, -He tried to speak several times, but every time he seemed to be struck by a lack of voice and a sharp pain. Instantly when he opened his mouth and tried, his hands were at his neck.-

Arashi took the sketchpad back from Fay and made a mark on his neck. She handed it back to him and nodded slightly, hoping he would understand. He gave her a blank expression again, so she grabbed her neck, pretending to be in pain. Fay blinked slightly then did the same. She smiled at him and nodded.

-So, we know that he cannot speak. Does that mean that his voice was taken? Or, was something else taken? This is what we cannot figure out. If only we had someone we could ask…- Arashi frowned slightly. Sorato coughed slightly and she glared up at him.

-Well, darling…there's always that man…- he stiffened under her glare. She sighed and turned away, not wanting to admit that he was right. In this situation, that man seemed to be the only person she could turn to.

-Even if we could ask him for advice, it's not that simple. It is forbidden for us to go anywhere near that temple let alone all the way inside of it! The guards will surely catch us and stop us long before we even get a glimpse of him- She folded her arms across her chest. He didn't seem satisfied though.

-Yes, but, we'll find a way. We can think of something…-

As the couple bickered back and forth, Kurogane moved to Fay's side. He set his hand on the sorcerer's knee and stared up into the endless ice-blue eyes. Fay stared back at him, confused by the emotion he saw flickering in Kurogane's eyes that stared so intently at him. It was as if they were peering into his very soul.

Kurogane frowned slightly. He couldn't just let Fay remain like this. The longer it went on, the more the sorcerer seemed to suffer. And, the fact that the village had no survivors from these attacks could mean a couple of possibilities, none of which he wanted to pursue any further. Regardless of the method, if Kurogane didn't do something, chances were high that Fay wouldn't make it out of this world alive.

Kurogane suddenly stood up and Arashi and Sorato fell silent. Their eyes rested upon him and he glared back at them.

-I don't care if you will help me, but I will go and find this man myself if I have to. I will not just sit here and let Fay die. So, tell me where this temple is and who it is I am looking for.- Kurogane growled down at them.

-We can't let you do something so reckless…- Arashi stood up and stared him straight in the eyes. He just glared at her.

-Feh. I don't care about the risks. All that matters right now is saving that damned sorcerer. I won't let something as trivial as 'risk' get in my way- Kurogane spoke with a low voice. Arashi was about to make a rebuttal, but Sorato stood up and interrupted.

-I can understand how you feel. I will take you there- Sorato flashed him a grin. The look that briefly crossed Arashi's face was one of pure horror, but she said nothing. She knew how stubborn her husband was. Once he made up his mind to do something, there was no way anyone, not even her, could stop him.

The silence fell heavy over the room, and Fay glanced back and forth at the faces. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he did know that it was something serious. He slowly stood up and made an awkward motion with his arms. Kurogane blinked at him and he flailed his arms about even more.

Suddenly, Sorato burst out laughing –What an odd man! I'm not sure what your relationship really is, but I think he's worried about you, too!-

Arashi sighed and moved to Sorato's side, gently placing her hand on his arm. He glanced down at her and forced a weak smile. He knew what he was risking, but he didn't want to watch someone lose the one they loved. He had fought too long and hard to get Arashi; he knew the pain it could cause.

-I assume you can fight- Sorato pulled away and motioned to the sword that hung at Kurogane's hip. He grunted slightly and folded his arms across his chest.

-Of course. What idiot would carry around a weapon he couldn't use!?- Kurogane hissed. Sorato just grinned and grabbed a sword off the wall.

-You're looking at someone who used to be one of those idiots!- he chuckled slightly as he strapped the sword across his back.

-Arashi…you stay here and watch him- Sorato motioned towards Fay. She frowned deeply, but simply nodded, understanding that her task was just as risky as theirs. She moved towards him and pulled him into a deep embrace.

-Be careful- she whispered as she kissed him. He grinned and ran his hand through her thick, black hair.

-You know I always try to be!- he chucked. She frowned at him.

-That's exactly why I'm worried!-

The two pulled away and Kurogane glanced over at Fay. The sorcerer looked nervous, but Fay did his best to hide the emotion running rampant behind his eyes. Kurogane grunted slightly and gently tapped him in the head.

"Baka," was all he said as he pulled away. Fay tried to follow the two of them out, but Arashi held him back.

-Stay here- she whispered to him, trying to get him to understand. Fay blinked at her and frowned slightly. He might not understand what they were saying, but he could understand enough to know he was being left behind.

Fay slumped down back onto the stool. He hated this feeling…he hated being left behind and labeled as useless. He wouldn't let it stop him this time, though…he glanced over at Arashi. No, he would prove to them just how strong he was. He could fight this thing on his own. He had been fighting that way for many years now.

nnnnnnnnnnnnn

I almost went and uploaded this chapter a couple weeks ago because it was file the size of the other chapters, so I assumed it was done. Luckily, I was smart enough to look and realize it was just chapter 2 saved with a different name…I'm werid like that. But, right now, I'm blowing off time til I get too bored and go back to reading Detective Conan (again)…

But, sorry about such a late update I still love this series! (OMG! The stuff that went on in vol 18..patiently waiting for 19, as I read them in the Japanese manga form..XD) But, I'll be in Japan coming up soon for a whole month, so the lack of updates will probably just remain the same. Sorry! Thanks for being patient with me, though! I also jsut got a commisson for the Sakura and her friends from CCS (yes, I'm an artist XD ) so that will eat away time, too...


	4. Chapitre 4 Tsuyoi Kokoro

Breathless

_Chapitre 4. Tsuyoi Kokoro (Strong Heart)_

By Sanzaki Kojika

Disclaimer: I do not in any way, shape, or form own Tsubasa or any of the CLAMP characters sadly. What I'd give for even half their talent! I'm kinda forgetting what I had planned for this so I better hurry and write it down somewhere…haha! This is KuroFai, by the way…meaning guy-on-guy action! Oh nos! (it's also apparently ShaoranSaku now…XD )

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Shaoran stopped again, quickly scanning their surroundings. Every time he stopped, Sakura got more and more worried. Something was bothering him, and he wouldn't let her know what it was. Even though he was always like this and she knew he was too stubborn to ever say anything, it still caused her to worry like crazy. That was just in her nature though.

"Shaoran…" Mokona frowned slightly from his place nestled in Sakura's arms. The boy blinked back at the white manjuu and forced a smile.

"It's fine…we should keep moving…" Shaoran continued forward again. Sakura said nothing but moved to keep his pace. She felt awkward in this kind of situation, not sure what she should do or say. She felt safe just being by Shaoran's side…but, he wasn't the same way. He was the one who protected her, not the one being protected. There was no way she could understand just what he was feeling. It upset her that she couldn't. She wanted to protect him with her own power.

They walked on in silence, Shaoran occasionally pausing in their journey to check their surroundings. No matter what he did, he couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. It was all around him, threatening to engulf them entirely. He wanted to keep the princess safe, but how could he fight something he wasn't even sure was there? For all he knew, he would just be tilting at windmills!

A sudden cracking sound off to the left caught his attention and snapped him out of his thoughts. Shaoran whirled around and his hand moved to grab the handle of his sword. He found himself starting straight into the eyes of…a harmless little squirrel. He sighed and let his hand relax. Maybe he was just getting too worked up over nothing…

Just as Shaoran's hand slid back entirely from his sword, he heard a high pitch scream behind him. He quickly moved to turn around, "Saku…"

He suddenly felt dizzy, as if he were about to pass out. He stumbled slightly, struggling to stay on his feet. Splashes of colors threatened to overtake his vision. He blinked, trying to force the illusions away. What had happened…?

As Shaoran fell forward and his face met the ground, he could feel the sharp sting of something in the back of his neck. He had been hit without his ever knowing. They had found a flaw in his defense! He cursed himself silently as the world slipped away into the darkness.

"Shaoran-kun!" Sakura shrieked as she hurried to his side. She had seen the small dart whiz past her towards him, but she could do nothing to save him. It had been to quick for even his reflexes. Its shooter was far too quiet. Even now, she had no idea who had done this to him.

There was some rustling in the bushes around her and slowly the figures faded in from the brush. They were pale skinned with vibrant eyes of red and some of an icy-blue, much like those of Kurogane and Fay. What got to her the most were the intricate paintings that adorned their bodies from nearly head to toe. They were mesmerizing, and she found she was losing herself in their detail. She quickly turned away and huddled over Shaoran.

"Mokona will protect you two!" Mokona jumped in front of Sakura and Shaoran. Sakura tried to smile, but she knew that the little critter was nowhere near powerful enough to defend them. In fact, he wasn't even brave enough to stand there long enough.

"It's coming from her, sir…" one of the men glanced over his shoulder towards a man as he moved through the bushes and into their sight. He had dark hair and dark eyes; he stood out from the group quite a bit. He wore a cold look on his face and his skin was only lightly tanned. He wore long dark robes with intricate blue designs winding their way up to end at the sleeves. Unlike most of the others, there was no tattoo adorned upon him. He held a large sword in his right hand that had been drawn from the black sheath at his hip. Right away, Sakura recognized him.

"Nii-san!" she said without thinking. She quickly corrected herself, "Etto, Touya…"

Touya blinked down at her, clearly confused as to why she would know him. He glared at her as he moved a bit closer, "Why do you know me…?"

"Ano…it's a bit hard to explain…" Sakura shook her head slightly. She glanced over at Mokona and he nodded his encouragement. She took a deep breath and continued, "I guess you could say, you just remind me of someone I know…"

"Your brother?" Touya shrugged his shoulders. She simply nodded her response. "Well, whatever. That's the least of my concern."

Touya knelt down beside her, moving to take the dart out of Shaoran. He took it out in one swift movement, leaving not even a spot of blood behind. He handed it to the man behind him. The man accepted it with a befuddled look upon his face.

"Sir…" one of the other men approached, trying to bring Touya back. Touya waved them off and leaned closer to Sakura.

"PUU!" Mokona yelled as he head butted Touya in the knee. Touya fell back, thrown off guard as he hadn't even noticed the little white manjuu. He grabbed Mokona by the scruff of his neck and helped him up to get a better look.

"Mokona will protect Sakura-chan!" Mokona tried to whack at his nose. He snickered slightly and dropped Mokona away and off to the side.

"What is it…?" Sakura asked, getting leery about him being so close. Though this man may look like her dear older brother, he wasn't the same. In each different world, each person was different. Though their hearts remained the same, their lives had made them different. A friendly face in one world could be an enemy in another.

"The power you give off…it's just like the one in the temple…" he frowned slightly. She looked over at Mokona.

"Mekyo!" he opened his eyes for a brief moment, "though it's faint and there's a lot of static, I think I can sense a feather!" He frowned slightly. For some reason, he was still having a lot of trouble using his magic. The fact that he could barely even sense the feather probably meant that they were pretty close. But, though he could sense it, he couldn't even make out which direction it was coming from. He hoped he had followed Fay right, back when he could feel the sorcerer…

"Feather? What are you talking about…" Touya glared over at them. Sakura forced a smile and waved her hands about in her defense.

"No, it's nothing bad. We are travelers searching for my feathers…they have been taken from me, and I can't regain my memory without them…" she clutched her hand to her chest. With every memory she got back, she felt like she was becoming more and more like herself. Despite this though, there was a gaping hole that only widened with each piece. Something in her heart was still missing…

Touya stood up and Sakura followed him with her eyes. He walked a couple steps away from them, his back turned towards them, "One hundred years ago, a meteor fell into the Yoake Temple. Since then, the desert has become a dangerous place; the peaceful kentan were turned into vicious monsters, draining spirit from those who could call upon its power. Those with spirit were blamed for this problem, and many of our leaders have been stolen away and sealed inside the temple, in hopes of restoring balance and riding us of this evil.

"Inside the meteor was a great magic…said to be in the form of a feather. A couple months ago, we lost our current leader to them, and we are on a quest to get him back and get rid of this magic. Maybe…you can be of some use."

Sakura stood up and grabbed onto Touya's arm, "Please, let me help! If my feather has caused all of this chaos…then I am responsible. I must help to right it!"

Touya pulled his arm away and gave her a small smirk. He patted her on the head.

"You're a good girl…with a pure heart…just as I had expected" he turned away and motioned for two of his men to come towards him.

"Carry this boy back to our camp. Once we wakes up and is ready, we shall continue our journey," he ordered. The men picked up Shaoran and Sakura hovered around them, making sure they didn't harm Shaoran as they moved him. Touya motioned for her to follow him.

"While we wait, let me show you the temple…"

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Kurogane peeked out from behind the rock, glaring at the temple before them. Just as Sorato and his wife had said, there were many guards stationed before it. They were wearing heavy suits of golden armor and wielding unpleasant-looking pikes. The temple was well guarded indeed.

"What's the plan?" Kurogane glanced over at Sorato. The other man was frowning and racking his brain to come up with some solution. There had to be a way to get past the guards and get in.

"I'm still working on it," came the curt reply.

Kurogane sighed and leaned back on his heels. His mind was rapidly at work, forming possible solutions. He could always go and outright destroy all of those in his way, but he really didn't want to be that obvious in his approach. His best bet was to find a way to sneak around them and make their way into the temple, unnoticed. And though he had been trained for that all his life, it didn't make sneaking past at least forty men under the dim light of torches to the only entrance of a temple any easier.

"How many guards do you think there are?" Sorato asked after a moment. Kurogane grunted and peered out again, making a quick count of those he could see and stretching his senses to find those hidden in the shadow. His initial guess had been close.

"I'd say about forty-five…" he grumbled. Sorato blinked and peered out himself to double-check the number.

"But I only see about twenty…" Sorato checked again to make sure his eyes weren't deceiving him. He shook his head, failing to find anymore than the ones in the light and slumped back against the rock.

"Don't let your eyes deceive you. There is more to see than what is in the light. There are guards hidden throughout the shadows as well. This way, they can be more defensive," Kurogane folded his arms across his chest. He had to think of a way to break through, and fast! He didn't want to leave Fay like that for much longer…

"That's a lot more than I had expected…I wonder if something's up…" Sorato frowned slightly. They usually only kept around a dozen guards posted at a time, even during nightfall. Most people were too scared to venture towards the temple even in the day. The rumors about it and he who resided inside had made sure to that.

"Hm…there might be someone else out there trying to cause trouble. I really don't know everything about your people yet, but we might be able to use this to our advantage," Kurogane smirked. He'd find one way or another to get in that temple…no matter what it would take!

nnnn

The sorcerer glanced up at the pale sliver of moon that was trying to peek through the heavy curtain of clouds. Not a single star managed to break through and dot the sky. The sky was enveloped in the darkness save for that single waning light of the moon. It struck him as oddly beautiful, as he sat alone in the dark room that had become his prison. The only thing that he could make out clearly was his pale form. The dark shadows of a few columns and an altar were his only companions.

He closed his eyes and listened to the clatter outside. They were added guards…he knew what that meant. They had spotted the others, or at least had gotten wind of them. Why would he be so foolish as to let them…the sorcerer couldn't help but wonder what it was that he was planning.

The sorcerer slowly rose to his feet and moved to a large urn that was propped up against the wall. He placed a creaking piece of wood on top of it and climbed up, trying to peer out the small window, the only source of light in the room. Even on tip-toe he was still barely able to peer above the frame. All he could see was the dark shadows of rocks rising off in the distance. He gave up and slumped down in defeat.

_One who is lost, and one who has lost…they approach._

The sorcerer sat up, quickly alert. When he had first been locked away in his prison, he had heard the voice before, but it had never said much. Here it was again now, talking in tongue. What did it mean…?

_Find the lost spirit._

At once, he knew what it was talking about. Even before he had come to this place, he had heard the rumors about magic being sapped by a once peaceful creature. Though he hadn't understood why, he knew that it was real, and he also knew he had somehow managed to avoid it. He slowly rose to his feet.

Though he wasn't quite sure he could do it, he would do his best to help those who were coming in need of his help. There were two people…though he wasn't quite sure what one of them needed; he knew one of them must possess some sort of magic. He moved back to the urn and threw off the wood, quickly pulled out some herbs that had been stashed away inside of it.

He started to mix the potion together, doing his best to remember what he had been told by the voice when he had first entered. It had worked, and though he wasn't sure how it had, he knew it would do so again. He didn't know how long he would have to wait, but he didn't want to risk it. He would make the potion again right away.

He hesitated a moment, wondering just how the person, er...people, would get in. From his knowledge, the temple was safe guarded, even more heavily now than ever, and there was only one way in or out of the temple. But if they voice had said so…he had no reason to not believe it would come true. In fact, he wanted to believe it would. So, he would do just that. The voice hadn't steered him wrong so far, even if it really hadn't spoken much.

He moved back towards the altar once more and knelt down on the cold stone steps that lead up to the box in the center. He pushed it aside and reached down into the darkness of the small hole that had been formed beneath it. It didn't take him long for his fingers to brush against that which he sought. He pulled the feather out and was met with a bright light.

The sorcerer stumbled back, nearly dropping the feather in the process. This was…strange. The feather had always emitted a dim glow of light, but this is the first time he had ever seen it so bright. He cupped it in his hands, trying to keep himself from being blinded. He hurried over to the urn and dipped it into his concoction before putting it back in its safe hold.

For some reason, the extreme glow of the feather didn't bother him. Though he wasn't quite sure just what it meant, he had a feeling it had to do with the other visitor who was coming to meet him. He knew from the moment he had laid his eyes on it that the feather was just a piece of a larger puzzle. It wouldn't surprise him if the owner had finally come back to claim what was rightfully his or hers. Getting the feather back to the owner would solve so many problems.

He finished stirring the potion then sat back to look at his masterpiece. It looked to be about done, so now all he had to do was wait. He moved the piece of wood back and sat back down on top of the urn. Waiting was the thing he hated to do the most…

Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long. It was only a couple minutes after that he heard the quiet sound of footfalls. He jumped to his feet, not sure if he should be ready for a fight, or if this was one of the people he was expecting. It seemed like he had to wait an eternity for the newcomer to come inside.

The instant that the newcomer crossed into the main hall, the sorcerer knew just what to expect. He smiled warmly and held his hand out, "Greetings! I have been expecting you!"

nnnnnnnnnnnnn

Translation notes: (oh nos! It strikes again…!)

Nii-san: big brother, slightly casual and slightly formal (good relationship, but still respect)

etto: "Um"; literally: just a sound when you are unsure  
Ano: Same as above

Sorry, shorter chapter than usual..but, I wanted to leave off on several cliffhanger thingers…that way, I can balance the story more (what? Don't ask…my brain is on his coffee break..)


	5. Chapitre 5 Kokoro no Koe

Breathless

_Chapitre 5. Kokoro no Koe (Voice of the Heart)_

By Sanzaki Kojika

Disclaimer: I do not in any way, shape, or form own Tsubasa or any of the CLAMP characters sadly. What I'd give for even half their talent! I'm kinda forgetting what I had planned for this so I better hurry and write it down somewhere…haha! This is KuroFai, by the way…meaning guy-on-guy action! Oh nos! (it's also apparently ShaoranSaku now…XD )

n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n—n-n-n-n-n-n-n—n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n—n-n

Fay sat up and blinked into the darkness surrounding him. He glanced over at the sleeping form a bit away from him, making sure that Arashi was asleep. Once he was sure, he stood up and quietly slipped outside. He hadn't had to slip out in a long time. It stirred up odd memories. He pushed them aside and continued into the shadows.

He didn't know the village very well, nor could he even clearly see it in the darkness, but he still moved forward, as if something was leading him. He had seen Kurogane and Sorato leave in this direction at least. He hoped their course had remained steady for the most part.

It didn't take him long to get utterly lost though. He frowned slightly, trying to make heads or tails of where he was going. All he could see though was the darkness and the dark shadows of rocks that seemed to wrap around the entire horizon. At least in other places he had been able to follow things like trees. This place was too barren for that.

He was about to turn back when he suddenly caught a small glowing light out of the corner of his eye. It kept blinking in and out, reminding him of a firefly. He wondered what it was. He moved closer to examine it.

_Come. Follow me._

The voice seemed to come out of nowhere. Fay had learned the hard way not to trust these voices so easily. But, somehow, he found himself calm with it and he followed it without a second thought. Soon, he was standing directly before the ball of light.

_Follow me._

The light started to move. It was as if Fay's feet were moving on their own. He followed the light past the rocks and scraggly brushes, dodging out of the way of any obstacle that he found in his path. Why was he following this thing? He couldn't figure out why, nor could he stop himself. It was as if it was pulling him.

The light led him through a thick outcropping of jagged rocks and into the desert. He followed it blindly, not sure where it was leading and only able to see it clearly. It continued to move through the desert until it got to another outcropping of rock. This one looked as if it had been man-made thought.

Fay struggled up the rocks, his robes getting in the way of proper movement. After a bit of the struggle, he got aggravated with them and proceeded to rip the top layer off and tear most of the bottom layer so his legs could be free. With this, his movement up the rock quickened.

When he got to the top, the ball of light was waiting for him. It moved forward again, leading him through a grouping of tall rocks. He could make out the dark shadow of a building rising up ahead of them. After several feet, the building loomed across the moon, blocking out the little light there had been. Fay was left blind in the darkness, save for that little ball of light.

_Come._

The light led him towards the building. Fay followed it, wondering just where it was leading him. As he got closer, he could make out some dim shapes that appeared to be columns ending just before the surface he was approaching. It looked like the light had lead him to the back of a temple. He wondered if this was the place that he had been looking for.

The light smacked against the wall and rippled across its surface. The wall beneath it started to glow and continued to ripple out, ending in a space that covered about three feet wide. Fay stopped before it, staring into the light and its ripples.

_Come._

The voice still spoke to him. Fay took a deep breath and stepped forward, straight into the wall. He had been expecting to run into it, but instead he went through it. He was met by the cool touch of magic as he passed through and into one of the inner halls of the temple. As soon as he was through, the light returned to its ball form.

_To the main hall._

Fay followed the light down the hall, but it soon started to fade away. Fay hurried after it, hoping that it wouldn't vanish before he had arrived at someplace. His footsteps echoed through the empty halls as he ran.

Just as he caught up with the light, it vanished, and he entered a large room. He was surprised to hear another voice when he entered, "Greetings! I have been expecting you!"

Fay stopped in his movement, not expecting to meet anyone here. As his eyes adjusted, he started to be able to make out more of the person who had spoken. The man stood before him, holding out his hand, with a smile plastered across his face. He didn't at all look threatening, but Fay knew that looks could be deceiving. There was magic oozing from him.

The sorcerer was tall and thin, and his skin was almost white it was so pale. His short hair was silvery, framing his face and giving him the look of something very pure and innocent, like snow. He wore pale robes that bore a strong semblance to those Fay had been wearing before he had torn them. His eyes hid behind a small pair of glasses.

"Don't be afraid. I can help you," the sorcerer moved closer to Fay and took his hand in his own. He shook it gently then pulled back, the smile never leaving his face.

Fay smiled at him and made some odd motions with his hand, trying to explain himself. The sorcerer chuckled behind his hand, trying not to upset Fay. But, Fay looked ridiculous right now, more so than usual.

"I am called Yukito. I'm not sure how much you know of the dealing with the kentan and the tribes of spirit, but I was taken from my tribe to be used as this generation's sacrifice. I, like you, possess the power of spirit, or magic. Though I myself haven't lost it, I have seen others who have, and have saved some before," the sorcerer introduced himself.

Fay grinned at him. There was no way he could even begin to think of a way to introduce himself. The best he could do was acknowledge the other man.

"You were attacked by a kentan, correct? You can no longer speak, but more than that, your magic has been drained…" Yukito walked over to the urn that was filled with the potion he had made. He dipped a small bottle in and pulled out a bit of the liquid. Its strong odor wafted through the air and filled the entire room.

"Drink this," Yukito offered the bottle to Fay. Fay took it and glanced down at it, bringing closer to sniff at it. It smelled disgusting. He stuck his tongue out in distaste.

"Don't worry; it doesn't taste as bad as it smells," Yukito assured him. Fay smiled at him and nodded. For now, he would trust the sorcerer's words.

Fay took a deep breath and downed the little bottle in one gulp. Just as Yukito said, it didn't taste nearly as bad as it smelled. He smiled and passed the bottle back to Yukito. Before the other sorcerer could take it though, Fay dropped it as a sudden spasm racked his whole body.

"Are you okay!?" Yukito blinked, trying to figure out just what had happened. There was a burning sensation in Fay's throat, and he felt sick to his stomach. He stumbled slightly and was brought to his knees by another spasm.

"Hey!" Yukito knelt down beside him, trying to help him up. It was no use though; Fay could no longer stand on his own.

He could hear Yukito's voice as it seemed to move farther and farther away, but he couldn't make out what the other sorcerer was saying. He felt dizzy and nauseated…it must have been from whatever it was he had drunk. He could tell from Yukito's reaction though that it had never been quite like this before. As these thoughts floated around in the back of Fay's head, his vision blurred and filled with red. Soon, he was met by the darkness…

Nnnnn

Arashi stumbled slightly but quickly regained her balance. How had this happened!? How could she have let this happen? She cursed herself as she ran through the rocky desert to the place she knew they would be at. Fortunately, they weren't too hard to find.

"Sorato!" she hissed when she could make out the shadows of what she knew to be her husband and the dark swordsmen. She slowed in her run and stopped just a bit behind them.

"Arashi?" Sorato blinked back at her. She was panting hard; it was obviously she had run all the way here. He wondered why she had done so. He frowned slightly.

Beside him, Kurogane noticed right away that she was alone. His face darkened as he glanced around, hoping to see the aloof sorcerer somewhere nearby. He was nowhere to be seen though.

"Where's Fay?" Kurogane growled. Arashi caught her breath and looked him straight in the eyes.

"I'm sorry…he managed to sneak out! I don't know where he could be. I had thought here, but…" Arashi shook her head. It was no good. The blonde haired man didn't know the area very well, so he must be lost then if he hadn't made it here. She just hoped that the guards didn't find him.

"We can't do anything here until we formulate a plan…let's go back and look for him," Sorato suggested with a slight shrug. Kurogane grunted and stood up without giving them a response.

Kurogane stalked down the rocky slope, muttering curses to himself all the while. Dammit! Why did that sorcerer have to run off now!? Especially when he was so close to finding a way to help him! Kurogane angrily kicked at a rock that was in his way and it rolled down the path. The rock was answered by a small grunt. He blinked slightly and stopped.

"What's wrong…?" Sorato's voice was low as he came up behind the swordsman. Kurogane shook his head and motioned towards the bushes slightly.

"Someone's there…" Kurogane narrowed his eyes. He started forward leaving a rather confused Sorato and Arashi behind him.

Kurogane stopped just before the place he had heard the grunt from. He drew his sword and in one swift moment, he slashed the sparse brush away. He came face-to-face with a young girl with big, green eyes.

"Sakura!?" Kurogane took a step back. Sakura blinked at him and slowly stood up.

"Kurogane-san…?" she continued to blink. Mokona was clutched tightly in her arms.

"Kurogane-san!" Mokona chirped in a song-song voice. Kurogane glared down at him.

"Stupid manjuu!" Kurogane growled at Mokona as the little puffball tried to jump into his arms. "What are you guys doing here…?"

"We were looking at the temple..." Sakura motioned towards the temple that Kurogane had just been watching. He looked back towards it and Sorato and Arashi joined him.

"You know her?" Sorato glanced over at him. He grunted slightly and nodded his head.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Sakura, and this is Mokona," Sakura started to introduce herself to the others. Kurogane frowned slightly. It had just hit him. They could all understand each other again. Must be because they were so close to Mokona…but, if they had been close enough to meet after this short of time, why hadn't it worked earlier…? Not only that…someone was missing…

"Oi, where's the other one?" Kurogane glared at Sakura. She frowned slightly.

"Well, he's back at the camp resting…" she tried to explain. No matter what she said though, she knew Kurogane wouldn't be satisfied. He'd want to see the boy with his own eyes.

"He's fine," came the cold reply from behind Sakura. She nearly jumped. Touya had slipped her mind during her merriment at being reunited with her friends.

"Who are you…?" Kurogane glared at him. Sorato and Arashi took a step back, noting the clothing he was wearing. They had never seen one of his kind so close before. In fact, until now, they had only heard stories.

"This is Touya…he's going to help me get my feather back," Sakura explained. Kurogane frowned and cocked his eyebrow at her.

"You found your feather?" he glanced down at Mokona and Mokona nodded in agreement.

"It's inside the temple!" Mokona bounced around and managed to get himself up onto Kurogane's shoulder. Kurogane frowned at him but made no move to push him off.

"The temple, huh…seems like a lot of us are wanting to get in there," Kurogane folded his arms across his chest. "It's tightly guarded though…there are more than forty guards…"

"You can't just tell them that!" Sorato cut in, already on edge because of their lookout and now even more anxious around Touya. Kurogane shrugged slightly.

"I know I can trust Sakura. And, if she trusts this other guy, I will, too," Kurogane grunted. Sorato frowned and fell silent.

"Well, whatever we decide…we shouldn't stay here and talk about it. It's far too dangerous!" Arashi hissed a warning from behind them. Sorato nodded in agreement and glanced towards Kurogane.

"For now, come back with us…if we all have the same goal, we might as well work together," Touya slipped back into the shadows. Sakura smiled and motioned for the others to follow. Kurogane walked by her side and the other two were just behind them.

"Do you think it will be okay…?" Sakura glanced nervously over her shoulder at the other two whispering away behind her. Kurogane grunted slightly.

"It will be fine! They've already helped us a lot more than they needed to…and, they haven't turned us in yet…" Kurogane trailed off. He noticed Sakura giving him a funny look.

"You keep saying 'us,' but I noticed…Fay-san is not with you. Where is he…is he alright?" worry clouded her deep emerald eyes. He frowned slightly. There was no way he could lie to her, nor was there any reason for him to.

"Fay was attacked, and though I'm not sure by what or just what it did to him, he can't talk and he's in a lot of pain. Someone inside the temple might be able to help him though; that's why I was there. But, while I was gone…he wandered off…" Kurogane gritted his teeth. Sakura gently touched his sleeve.

"Don't worry! I'm sure he'll be fine…" Sakura smiled, trying to reassure Kurogane as well as herself that this was true. He almost smiled down at her, relieved to see her again in so many ways he couldn't explain. His odd traveling group had almost become like a family to him, as much as he hated to admit it. He found himself feeling almost fatherly to Sakura and Shaoran. These were emotions he wasn't even sure how to handle himself. Sure, he had a very good father while his father was alive, but he wasn't one himself to be good with emotions.

They fell silent as Touya led them through a maze of turns that eventually led to their camp. Though it only took them a couple minutes to reach it, with the silence that hung heavy in the air and the worry that clung at the back of their minds, it seemed to take an eternity.

nnnnnnnnnnnnn

Translation notes: (oh nos! It strikes again…!)

Oi: rough way of saying "hey" (approximately)

Another shorter chapter…but, it didn't seem too short to me until I looked at the page count. ANywyas, I'm planning on two more chapters for this story before I finish it. I'm hoping to keep this rather short (since it WAS supposed to be a oneshot!). The plot keeps changing as I get more and more involved in this story, but I finally have a somewhat decent one to work with. I'm really not too happy with how this is turning out though…sorry guys!


	6. Chapitre 6 Yoake no Tsubasa

Breathless

_Chapitre 6. Yoake no Tsubasa (Wings of Dawn)_

By Sanzaki Kojika

Disclaimer: I do not in any way, shape, or form own Tsubasa or any of the CLAMP characters sadly. What I'd give for even half their talent! I'm kinda forgetting what I had planned for this so I better hurry and write it down somewhere…haha! This is KuroFai, by the way…meaning guy-on-guy action! Oh nos! (it's also apparently ShaoranSaku now…XD )

n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n—n-n-n-n-n-n-n—n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n—n-n

Shaoran awoke to a searing headache and a dull burning sensation in his neck. His thought feel dry and cottony; he had a little trouble breathing at first. He slowly first his eyes open and squinted against the firelight that illuminated the area he was in. It appeared to be a small tent of some sort.

"Shaoran-kun!" Sakura's voice came from beside him. He quickly sat up and glanced over at her.

"Sakura-hime…" he blinked slightly, feeling worse now thanks to the sudden movement. He rubbed his head slightly, willing the pain to go away and leave him be. Too bad it wasn't that easy.

"Don't force yourself…" Sakura tried to push him back down. He smiled at her and gently brushed her hand away.

"I'm fine," he told her with a smile. She was still worried, but she nodded her head and let him get up on his own. He stumbled a bit, but he managed to catch himself before Sakura could make her way over to help him.

"Hn, always so stubborn…" Kurogane folded his arms across his chest. Shaoran blinked over at him. He hadn't noticed the older samurai in the corner of the room until he had spoken.

"Kurogane-san...?" Shaoran wasn't sure if he was really seeing everything alright. But, if the black samurai was indeed standing over there, that made him feel a lot more relieved.

"Yo," Kurogane nodded his head slightly. Shaoran moved over to him, Sakura at his heels to make sure he didn't fall over. Mokona was situated on Kurogane's shoulder, and he bounded down to Shaoran's arms as the boy approached.

"Yay! Mokona is glad Shaoran is better!" Mokona nuzzled Shaoran slightly. Shaoran smiled and patted him on the head.

"Thanks…"

The flap of the tent was brushed back and Touya stalked inside, Sorato and Arashi at his heels. Shaoran blinked at them, recognizing them immediately as the people from the other worlds, but not quite sure when they had all connected up in this one. It was still a bit odd to see familiar faces as different people.

"This is Touya; his group is the one we met in the woods," Sakura tried to explain to Shaoran. He frowned slightly, but nodded his head. Even though he had thought them to be hostile, if they were all here together now, then obviously, something had happened to change that. The air in the room still was thick with tension though.

"I'm sorry about that," Touya motioned towards the back of Shaoran's neck. The boy rubbed at the sore spot and nodded slightly.

"It's alright…" Shaoran smiled slightly. Touya's eyebrow twitched slightly, but the older man made no move to do anything more. Shaoran turned his attention to the other two.

"Hello, boy! We're friends with this one, over here," Sorato grinned as he motioned towards Kurogane. The dark samurai muttered something about not having friends, but he made no effort to stop Sorato from talking.

"We helped him out of a pinch!" Sorato chuckled. He was about to continue babbling when Arashi grabbed him by the ear and pulled him back.

"You'll have to excuse my husband. He's a bumbling idiot. Our names are Arashi and Sorato. We are from a small town in the desert," she took Shaoran's hand and gently shook it. He smiled at her.

"I'm Shaoran."

"Gah, enough with the introductions!" Kurogane stood up straight and growled. Everyone glanced over at him. He glared at them, "We have to go and find a way to save that damned sorcerer!"

Shaoran blinked over at Kurogane, "What do you mean…?" He glanced around the room more thoroughly. It was just then that he noticed the wily sorcerer of their group was missing. Where in the world was Fay!?

"That damned fool has wandered off…we don't even know where to begin to look for him!" Kurogane hissed. Shaoran frowned. Nothing could happen to Fay...right? It had seemed, that throughout this whole journey, he was one of the two who were most invincible. They would find him; he had no doubt in his heart.

"Mekyo!" Mokona suddenly jumped from Shaoran's arms and onto the floor. He hoped over to the flap of the tent and peered out into the darkness.

"What's wrong, Mokona…?" Sakura and Shaoran hurried over to his side. For a moment, the manjuu just remained silent. Then, he suddenly turned around, a big grin plastered across his face.

"It's Fay! I can feel him again!" Mokona bounded around the tent. Kurogane frowned at Mokona, not quite sure what the little manjuu had meant.

"What do ya mean, feel him again!?" Kurogane snarled at the little white ball. Mokona grinned and jumped into his arms.

"Puu! For a while, Mokona couldn't feel Fay…something is blocking Mokona's magic! But now, I can feel him again, just like the feather. I think they are in the same place!" Mokona hopped abut on Kurogane. Kurogane grabbed him and tossed him at Shaoran. The boy barely caught him.

"So, Fay ended up in the temple, huh? Guess that makes it a little easier…" Kurogane sighed.

"How is that possible? The temple is under heavy guard!" Arashi broke in. Sorato shrugged slightly, just as confused as she was. No one in the room was able to give an answer.

"Well, anyways, we at least know that it is possible to get in. And, that Fay-san is safe for now," Sorato grinned. Kurogane grunted his agreement.

"Well, now that the boy is awake, we can start with the plan…" Touya spoke up. All eyes fell on him. He cleared his throat and continued, "We'll have to just have a small group go into the temple while the others act as a distraction. Though it's larger than I'd like, the group that is currently in this tent will be the ones to go inside. So, it will be the six of us…"

"Puu! The seven of us!" Mokona broke in. Touya gave him a funny look before continuing.

"…the seven of us, then. We will remain safely off to the side until we are given the signal. Then, while the rest are fighting with the guards and keeping them busy, we will try to sneak in the front entrance. We don't have the time to go and look for this second entrance your friend managed to find. So, this will be how it is."

"Sounds good to me," Sorato nodded his head.

"Whatever, let's just get this done!" Kurogane folded his arms across his chest. He glared at anyone in the room who glanced his way. He hated how emotional he had been about the sorcerer this entire time. It was nerve wrecking! How dare that wily blonde make him feel this way!?

"Let's head out!" Touya made his way out of the tent. The others quickly followed suit as they made their way out into the night.

Nnnnn

Yukito frowned slightly, staring down at the fallen sorcerer before him. It had been several hours since the medicine had been administered, and still the young man hadn't moved. It was making him very nervous. He hoped that something hadn't gone wrong. He had made the potion the same way the voice had told him, just as he had before. But, the effect this time was totally different. He couldn't even begin to comprehend why.

Yukito paced the floor, trying to think of the best way to help the boy. He was so worried that he would hurt him again though. He knelt down and did his best to pick Fay up. Though the sorcerer was pretty light, Yukito himself was of similar build and lacked a lot of upper arm strength.

Yukito somehow managed to get Fay up onto the altar though. He slumped down afterwards, breathing heavily from the strain it had put on him. Fay hadn't budged once during the entire struggle to get him up on the altar though. That had Yukito even more worried.

"What did I do…?" Yukito frowned down at Fay. He gently nudged the other sorcerer, but there was no sign of life from him except for the silent rising and falling of his chest. So, at least Yukito knew Fay was still alive. It didn't help the situation much though.

_He will awaken._

The voice suddenly spoke up again. Yukito frowned deeper, finding himself doubting even more this voice. How could believe it, especially after what had happened to Fay…?

_He will awaken, not by your power._

Yukito knelt beside Fay and continued to watch over the sorcerer. It looked like he would be left waiting again. There was nothing else he could do though. The temple held him hostage, and his magic was trapped inside just as he was. He had already failed Fay once; he couldn't risk failing him again.

Yukito turned to stare up at the sliver of moon that peered down at them. Its ever watchful eye the only thing that had kept him going this long…

Nnnn

Kurogane glared at the dark shapes before him. They had been waiting for almost an hour now, and still Touya's men had yet to make a move. He didn't like the tension that was building in the air, he didn't like it one bit. All he wanted to do is barge through them and towards the temple to save that damned sorcerer. It wasn't like the sorcerer would save himself after all. Kurogane found himself scowling.

"Puu! What a scary face!" Mokona was on his shoulder. His voice was barely audible, not more than a whisper, but it still managed to grate on Kurogane's nerves. It was at times like these he wanted to strangle the furry manjuu.

"Be patient a little while longer. We'll be able to rescue Fay-san, soon. And, take back Sakura-hime's feather," Shaoran assured him. The boy was kneeling down right beside the samurai. On the other side of the boy was Sakura following by Touya. On Kurogane's other side were Sorato and Arashi, who were whispering amongst themselves. The silence that overlaid them all was palpable.

"It's almost time," Touya spoke for the first time since they had made their way to their hiding spot. He had been silent, biding his time and going over his plan in his head. Though it seemed simple enough, he found several areas in which it could go wrong. They didn't have the time for mistakes though.

In the distance, there was a loud shout and a bright flare of red crossed the sky. The guards in front of the temple started to scramble from their positions to go and check on what was going on. Still, the group remained still. The guards in the shadows had yet to leave their positions.

"We need reinforcements!" one of the guards screamed after several of minutes had passed. Now was the time to act. As the remaining guards slipped from the shadows to go help their comrades, the small group did the same. They rushed towards the temple, away from all of the noise.

As they moved in silence, Kurogane's eyes darted from side-to-side, trying to take in the count all of guards that had been stationed there. No matter how many times he recounted though, he was still coming up three short. Where were the other damn guards!? Kurogane hissed and moved to Touya's side.

"We are missing three of them! Stay on guard," Kurogane warned. Touya frowned and moved on to warn Sakura and Shaoran who had slipped to the front of the group. Kurogane fell back to warn Arashi and Sorato behind them.

Just as Kurogane opened his mouth to speak though, he found the missing guards. They jumped out of the shadows, sailing towards them. He was about to stop to help Arashi and Sorato fight, but Sorato stopped him.

"Go on ahead! We can take care of them!" Sorato shouted over the sudden roar of wind. Kurogane grunted his thanks then hurried on, not bothering to give them a second glance. He'd have to trust them now; it's all he could do. He had seen Sorato stand on his own many times in the other worlds. He just hoped that this Sorato was as skilled as the rest of them.

Kurogane quickly overtook Touya and caught himself up with the rest of the group. Touya gave him a sideways glance and Kurogane frowned slightly.

"Found them. The other two are taking care of them," Kurogane muttered, urging them to move forward at an even faster pace. By this time, they were nearing the temple. Kurogane could clearly make it out as it rose before them. Every little detail got sharper the closer they got.

With a heavy thud, Touya and Kurogane rammed open the doors with their shoulders and flew inside. Shaoran and Sakura hurried in after them, quickly shutting the door behind them. They slowly backed away, listening for any sign of movement from either side of the door. All they heard was the heavy sound of silence though.

"Mokona…where do we go now?" Shaoran glanced down at the white ball. Mokona had jumped from Kurogane to take up residence in Sakura's arms as soon as they had started running. Mokona frowned slightly.

"Mekyo! Keep going straight! I sense a lot of magic from that area…" Mokona pointed forward. The magic in the temple was strong, and it filled every crevice within it. The focus of it all seemed to be coming from a room in the center though. There were three distinct trials of magic wound together there.

The group sprinted forward, ignoring the fact that the temple might be laced with traps. Fortunately for them and their recklessness, there was none. They managed to make it to the center of the temple without any obstacles. As they neared the place Mokona had directed them to, they feel back into a steady walk.

_They're here._

A voice echoed throughout the long, empty halls. The group froze in their footsteps. Where had the voice come from…? After a moment, they braved a few steps closer, stopping just before the entrance to the main room.

With this newfound silence falling over them, they could hear the quiet patter of footsteps as someone got up and crossed the room, hesitating all the while. The footsteps stopped just on the other side of the door, as if trying to judge just what was out there. After a few seconds, the footsteps resumed, in a flurry, and a blur of white came rushing out of the room, throwing his arms around Touya.

"Yukito!?" Touya blinked, stumbling slightly at the sudden force against him. He caught the sorcerer in his arms and hugged him back, hard. There was a small grin plastered across his face.

"I knew you would save me!" Yukito pulled back and flashed Touya a smile. The grin never left Touya's face.

_Come to me._

The voice suddenly started up again. Sakura started to walk forward, moving towards the room. Shaoran followed her and caught up to her side. He glanced over at her.

"Sakura-hime…?" Shaoran said her name, but quickly realized she was no longer herself. She had that glazed over look she got often when they were near her feather. He followed her into the room in silence. She made her way the back of it and climbed up a little altar, passing Fay in the process.

"Fay-san!?" Shaoran stopped beside the sorcerer. He knelt down and gently shook Fay. There was no response though. The sorcerer did not budge in the slightest. Shaoraon leaned closer, listening for the sound of breathing. Yes, the sorcerer was still alive. But, then, why wouldn't he wake up…?

A blur of black rushed into the room as Kurogane hurried in after the others, hearing the name of his sorcerer called. He crossed the room in just a couple of large steps and hurried to Fay's side. He gently picked up the sorcerer in his arms.

"Oi, baka majutsushi!" Kurogane roughly shook Fay. Still Fay made no movement. Yukito and Touya slowly approached from behind.

"Ever since he took the medicine to rid him of the kentan binding, he's been like this…" Yukito tried to explain. Kurogane shot him a dirty look.

"So, you did this to him…!" Kurogane snarled. Yukito tried to defend himself, but both of them were distracted by a sudden bright light beside them.

Sakura had climbed to the top of the altar and removed the little box from the top of it. The feather beneath it was shining brightly as she took it into her hands. She slowly moved it up until she held it at chest level. Then, the glow got brighter as the feather floated inside of her and caused her whole body to glow for a second. As quickly as it had started, the glowing faded and Sakura stumbled. Shaoran was right there to catch her before she could fall.

The memories flashed before Sakura's eyes. Memories of herself as a young girl playing in the garden of her palace. There was a bird, and she was crying over it, knowing that it would not live for very much longer. It was hurt, and it couldn't fly. Suddenly, there was something calming, like a voice. It was telling her everything would be okay; the bird was a strong fighter. As long as she believed, then the bird could get better. She couldn't put this voice with anyone though. There was a blank spot in her memory. The memories quickly vanished and she found herself staring into Shaoran's eyes.

"Sakura-hime…" he blinked down at her. She smiled at him and slowly climbed to her feet. He helped her keep her balance as she adjusted to the temple and its surroundings.

Kurogane clutched Fay to his body, the sorcerer still not having made any movement. He growled and could fee tears biting at the corner of his eyes. He squinted them hard, trying to force them away, but they clung stubbornly to his lashes.

"Kuro-piiiiiiii….I can't breaaaaath…" came the exasperated voice from his arms. He glanced down and found himself staring into icy blue eyes. A wave of relief washed over him and he loosened his grip on Fay.

"You idiot…!" Kurogane snarled, so happy to see Fay he wasn't sure how to react. He dropped the sorcerer and Fay hit the ground with a thud. Fay rubbed his lower back and frowned slightly.

"Aw, you're soo mean!" Fay pouted as he slowly climbed to his feet. A wave of dizziness overtook him, and before he could even stumble, Kurogane was there supporting him.

"You are just such an idiot…!" Kurogane helped Fay down from the altar. Fay blinked up at him, noticing the tears clinging to the corners of his eyes. A wide grin spread across his face.

"Aaawwwwww, Kuro-tan was crying!' Fay giggled. Kurogane glared at him as they made their way out of the room.

"Was not!" he snapped back. The two of them bickered as they made their way down the hall.

"We should get out of here, too…" Shaoran offered Sakura his hands. Together, the six people made their way out of the temple as dawn broke out across the land.

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Translation notes:

Mekyo: the sound Mokona makes…XD

manjuu: a Japanese pastry filled with red-bean paste, usually white (what Kuro calls Mokona)

Oi, baka majutsushi: hey, stupid sorcerer

Hahaha XD I've been wanting to name a chapter with this title since like chapter 3. (Don't ask why…I'm not even sure!). But, I finally got to! Wee! Aaah! Damn this fanfic for having more story than fluff! The original purpose of this was to make it a fluffy oneshot! Ah, too late now…Xd

Thank you guys for reading it thus far, and being patient with my erratic updates! One more chapter to go, and this story is finished! I'll waht to get it out before I leave for Japan…it's just a wrap up chapter, but still…those chapters can be important, too! And, amazingly enough, since its so short..I got it done today as well...XD


	7. Chapitre 7 Ore no Otakara Mono

Breathless

_Chapitre 7. Ore no Otakara Mono (My Treasured Thing)_

By Sanzaki Kojika

Disclaimer: I do not in any way, shape, or form own Tsubasa or any of the CLAMP characters sadly. What I'd give for even half their talent! I'm kinda forgetting what I had planned for this so I better hurry and write it down somewhere…haha! This is KuroFai, by the way…meaning guy-on-guy action! Oh nos! (it's also apparently ShaoranSaku now…XD )

n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n—n-n-n-n-n-n-n—n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n—n-n

"Good luck on your journey," Arashi took Sakura's hand in her own and gave her a warm smile. Sorato stood beside her, shaking Shaoran's hand. Though the time they had spent together had been short, it had felt like they had known each other for such a long time.

"Thank you for everything," Sakura smiled. Mokona bounded up into her arms and she caught him up in one swift motion.

"I'm glad you found what you were looking for, and you did so much for this world by claming it," Sorato grinned.

With Sakura taking back her feather, the kentan had returned to the peaceful creatures that they were before. The desert was no safe for everyone to travel through again, well, almost. There were always dangers in a desert. Things like sandworms existed, and though the kentan tried their best to keep travelers safe, if someone stumbled across a sand worm nest, there was nothing they could do to save them.

Touya and Yukito had taken their group back to their village in the foliage surrounding the desert. Yukito had apologized several times to Fay before Touya had succeeded in dragging him away. And, though Touya hadn't said much, he had felt the pain of parting from their newfound friends as well.

It would take a long time for things to be restored though. Beliefs didn't change overnight. However, thanks to the connection Arashi and Sorato now had with the sorcery tribe of Touya and Yukito, a bond was starting to build between them. One day, they world would go back to how it was before the feather had come and its magic had tainted the world.

"We best be going," Sorato gave Shaoran one last handshake. He started to leave, but he suddenly stopped when Arashi stopped before Kurogane and Fay. Though the older people had already bid each other farewell, she felt she couldn't leave with things unsettled as they were.

Arashi gave Kurogane and Fay a warm smile before she left, "I'm glad you found your treasured thing."

"Whaaaaat!?" Kurogane snarled at her. His face flushed slightly. Fay blinked over at him, not quite sure why he had reacted the way he had.

"Just make sure not to lose it, this time!" Arashi called back with a wave. Kurogane glared daggers at her.

"I'm gonna kill that woman!!" Kurogane growled. Fay giggled slightly and patted him on the arm lightly.

"Now, now, Kuro-pipi! It's nothing to get that upset over!" Fay chuckled. Kurogane shot his glare at the sorcerer standing beside him.

The group turned and watched as Mokona got their portal ready. The sky started to sag with Mokona at its center, "Mokona can't wait!"

"You know…I was wondering. Just what was everyone saying when we first got into that town?" Fay said after a moment. His voice was almost entirely drowned out by the sound of the wind. Kurogane glared at him.

"It's not important!" he snarled again. Fay grinned at him, clearly amused by Kurogane's short-tempered reactions to all that had happened. He would have liked to think more about them, but he knew better than to get his hopes up.

"Oh, maybe it has something to do with why you were crying when I woke up…holding me in your arms," Fay wrapped his arms around himself and made a funny face. Kurogane could feel his face turning even redder. He charged at the sorcerer and Fay took off running.

"Guys! The portals almost ready!" Sakura screamed after them. They were already out of sight though. "Mou!"

Fay ran around a large clumping of rocks and hid behind them. When he saw Kurogane coming, he hid entirely out of sight. It didn't take long for the black samurai to locate the sorcerer though. Kurogane stalked up to him and grabbed his wrists.

"Temee…" Kurogane growled. Before Fay could make any retort, Kurogane leaned closer. He kissed the sorcerer hard on the mouth. For a moment, Fay was caught off guard, and still beneath the impact, but he quickly recovered and kissed the samurai back.

"I really hate you…" Kurogane grumbled as he pulled back, his cheeks a light rosy color. Fay grinned up at him, for the first time real happiness radiating out of those icy blue depths.

"Aw, Kuro-tan is so meeean!" Fay teased. He wrapped his arm around Kurogane's, and together, hand in hand, the two headed back to the portal.

As they walked, Fay spoke up again, "You know…this still doesn't mean you can get out of telling me what happened." He grinned over at Kurogane. Kurogane frowned back at him.

"Dammit."

Owari

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Translation notes:

Mou: sheesh

Temee: You; when used with an angry infliction can be used to mean more like "bastard"

Owari: end

Well, this is the last and final chapter! Thank ya'll for reading this and being patient with me! I need to stop doing multi-chapter fics… haha, well this was a really short chapter, but I think it got the point across and that's all that mattered. Not quite what I had intended, but it's not terrible either, I suppose…XD Well, until later!


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